Two years of Transition

Dear loyal readers and visitors,
After two years of what seems like one endless transition Tanner and I finally feel like we have energy to share our stories and knowledge gained together. In the last two years Tanner and I have:

• Became a team
• Lived for a month in a hotel before our new apartment became available
• Began working for our amateur Summit Assistance Dogs
• Discovered new apartment really wasn't ground floor accessible and tried to make it work including having friends try to build a ramp
• Moved in with friends for two months while we look for a new place 
• Found and moved in to a new minimally accessible apartment where we lived along with some dogs in training and eventually our best friend again for a year and a half
• Decided with said best friend to find and purchase a house. Which took looking at around 40 houses, putting in seven offers, and a little over six months.

So, again, we apologize for being gone so long, but hope you can understand.

15 Months since Shiloh Retired

It has been fifteen months since Shiloh retired.I was focused on adjusting to life without a service dog again, and was so busy and tired I did not have it in me to write. I had to hire a human personal assistant again and cut things out of my schedule simply because there wasn't energy for it. It has been a long 15 months full of change.Leslie and Gwen started a new job and moved to Washington. Ten months after she retired I received a call from Summit for an assessment day which is something they do when the trainers need more information about you and your disability or they think they may have a dog somewhere in the ranks for you. 13 months after Shiloh retired I decided to take a new job and move to back Washington.   

Upcoming series on Retirement

Shilo retired on August 17th after five years, 10 months and 2 days of partnership with me. Making the decision to retire a service dog is never easy even if there is an undeniable reason such as failing health driving the human partner to the decision. I am working on a series of post about Shilo's retirement to help people understand this all too little discussed inevitable phase of life with service dogs which will include topics:

1. Timeline to Retirement
2. Signs a Service Dog Needs to Retire
3. Preparing for Your Dog's Retirement
4. Celebrating your Partnership
5. To Re-Partner or Not? Deciding whether a Service Dog is still right for you.

Also in the series will be stories from Shilo's retirement:

• Shilo's Last Trip- Vegas Baby!
• Shilo's Retirement Party
• Shilo's Last Day Working
• Shilo's Retired Life

All Pages Updated!

Check out all the pages; every one has been updated. Enjoy!

Fundraising to Support My education as a Dog Trainer

As many of my readers know I am a dog training fanatic, but I would like to be more. I would to have my credentials as a professional dog trainer. There are many steps to do this and many route one may take;however, taking seminars like the upcoming one in Seattle by Dr. Ian Dunbar is an important part of any would be trainer's education. I have save $150 towards the fee to attend, and am hoping my loyal readers can assist in raising the $210 I still need to pay the fee by the end of February. Over the years I have written over 50 posts about training (see owner training and training tools)and how I train various behaviors. If these articles have helped you are someone you know, please consider supporting my continued education with a donation.

The workshop I want to attend will include the following topics:


Dr. Dunbar’s SIRIUS® Dog Training Academy
Thursday (9:30am–5:30pm): Business, Promotion, People-Training & Games
Friday (9:30am–5:30pm): Behavior Counseling
Saturday (9:30am–5:30pm): Adult Dog Classes
Sunday (9:30am–5:30pm): Puppy Classes

Dr. Dunbar taught the world’s very first off-leash puppy socialization and training classes and he has been perfecting the SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Class syllabuses for 30 years. The Academy will focus on the SIRIUS® way of successfully promoting and running our 30 year-old business and our way of conducting puppy/dog training classes and behavior consultations.

Registrants will receive substantial notes, including a Behavior Problem Solving Matrix, plus the complete SIRIUS Syllabus for Puppy 1, Puppy 2 and Adult 1 classes, week-by-week schedules, plus minute-by-minute class notes.

Need a service dog? Use a chair?

Hey readers,
This note is from the website of Summit Assistance Dogs, the program that trained and placed Shilo with me. Summit typically places dogs around the Northwest and requires several visits prior to placement with an average 2-3week team training. If you think you can meet these requirement an need a service dog because you are a wheelchair user, contact them.

Special note about service dogs for wheelchair users

Summit currently has very few applications for service dogs for clients who use wheelchairs and need assistance with tasks such as retrieving items, opening/closing doors, tugging clothing off, etc. We have several dogs in training who are going to be ideally suited for this type of placement. This means that the wait time to be matched with a dog may be much shorter than the usual 2-5 years. If you are a wheelchair user looking for a service dog, we encourage you to begin the application process by contacting kim@summitdogs.org.

Notes: SDAWL Tweets!

Sometimes you just want to let world know by keeping it Short and Sweet in a Tweet! That's right Shilo and I are tweeting now, follow us at http://twitter.com/SDAWL!

Note: Seattle Commision for People with Disabilities Links to SDAWL!

I was so proud to discover today that the Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities chose Service Dogs: A Way of Life as a link under their Assistance Dog Information Section! SDAWL is currently the only link in the section that focuses on the handler perspective.

Note:Sorry We have been out of Commission

I have been out of commission working then my wisdom teeth went awry,turns out all four need to be pulled!Shiloh has been helping a lot.Helping me balance and stay in touch though the drug stupor. Tooth pain is no joke, I am kind of scared the weight loss since I can't eat and the pain meds are making me nauseous. I hope to have the surgery scheduled this week.Shiloh will not be accompanying me since I am in no shape to be a proper handler to her.

Note: Enjoy the Reorganization of SDAWL

Dear Readers,
Service Dogs:A Way of Life (SDAWL) contains over 200 entries with vast amounts of information valuable anyone interested in, considering, or currently living with service dogs as a way of life. In an effort to make all SDAWL has to offer more user friendly I am adding pages such as:

• About Me- so readers may learn about me, my experience with service dogs, and why I spend the time doing this
• Links (coming soon)- So readers don't have to spend the time searing through post to find that link they know they saw
• Owner Trainers(coming soon)- a page collecting the many valuable resources for current and those considering owner training

I am considering other pages, and -as always- would welcome suggestions from my readers.  Along with the addition of these pages, I am systematically going through all post and updating the labels (listed on the right hand side of this blog) that allow readers to read all posts addressing a particular topic. I hope this makes SDAWL an even more valuable resource to my many loyal readers.

Off Topic: Other Disability Blogs Link to SDAWL I Thought Readers Might Want to Check Out

These are a couple of other blogs linking to mine that I thought some of you (my loyal readers) might find interesting:

• http://thetroubleisme.wordpress.com/ This blog is written by a near 20 year old who is still just stumbling along. Racism, hetrosexism, sexism, ableism and transphobia will not be tolerated.
• http://disabledfeminists.com/- FWD/Forward is a group blog written by feminists with disabilities. It is a place to discuss disability issues and the intersection between feminism and disability rights activism. The content here ranges from basic information which is designed to introduce people who are new to disability issues or feminism to some core concepts, to more advanced topics, with the goal of promoting discussion, conversation, fellowship, and education.

Note: We are still here!

We are still here. I have some interesting posts I am working on... Life just got really busy, so bear with me and stay tuned,

Note: New Email for SDAWOL Readers

So my dear readers have you ever wanted to email me directly with a question, comments, or suggestion for a post topic, book review, etc.? Now you can! Email Shiloh and I at servicedogsawayoflife@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from all of you!

Note: New Part-time Job

My dear readers,
As you know this is a tough economy in the U.S. and to make ends meet I now work two part-time jobs, both of which allow me to serve and work with other people with disabilities. My latest job is as a recruiter and facilitator for the Healing Pathways Project described below:

APPROVED: Jul. 6, 2009



Healing Pathways
Women with physical disabilities who experience depression may be eligible to participate in an Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) study. The purpose of the study is to test a peer-implemented 12 week group therapy program. Participants will be randomly assigned to an initial intervention group and a wait-list control group, however, all enrollees will eventually receive therapy. Depending on group assignment participation will last between 6 and 12 months. There is a possibility that dealing with depression will cause emotional distress. Participants will receive monetary compensation. Study sites include Eugene, Salem, Portland, and Medford/Grants Pass, Oregon. For more information call toll-free 877-226-4221. or in Portland call Elizabeth McNeff at (503) 475 4307 / email mcneffea@comcast.net. You may also contact the OHSU Principal Investigator Dr. Hassouneh at (503) 494 2714 or email phillide@ohsu.edu to inquire about the study (OHSU IRB#4296).

This flier was sent out on behalf of OHSU, however, neither your name nor any other information has been disclosed to OHSU.

Note: Sorry for my absence

I recently moved and have temporarily lost my Internet service. I will be back up and running shortly, keep checking in.

Note: Attending Conference this weekend

I will be attending the Assistance dog Club of Puget Sound Annual Conference this weekend. I will bring you the details when I return. I also plan to visit my retired service dog, Bastien.

One Year Anniversary of My Blog and a Contest

Today marks the one year of Service Dogs: A Way of Life and the 140th entry on this Blog! I want to thank all who read faithfully, post thoughtful comments, and link to my blog. I want this blog to be of service: a place of learning, sharing and community to all those involved with service dogs in anyway.
I thought I would share a little about what I know about my readers over the past year thanks to Google Analytics:

1. You come from all over the globe representing more than 40 countries including such far off locals as Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, and South Africa.
2. Over the past year I have had nearly 2,000 Visitors (and that's not counting repeats)!
3. You, my loyal readers read an average of a page and half each time you visit.
4. Your top favorite posts include:

• Controversy over "Fake" Service Dogs

• What is the Purpose of a Service Dog?

• Final Air Carrier Access Act Requires Rest Stops for Service Animals

• News: Alberta, Canada Extends Full public Access Rights to Person with Disabilities using Service Dogs

• Tips for Keeping your Service Dog Happy, Healthy, Beautiful, and Welcome

5. Nearly 40 percent of you find me through other blogs/websites! The top blogs/websites referring people here are:

• A SD By My Side (Listed in my Blog list on the right side of this page)
• Service Dog Central (Listed under Service Dog Community Links on the right)
• Charlie the North Star Dog (Listed in my Blog list on the right side of this page)
• A Service Dogs Journey (Listed in my Blog list on the right side of this page)
• Great Dane Service Dog (Listed in my Blog list on the right side of this page)
• Service Dog Sawyer (Listed in my Blog list on the right side of this page)

Thank you to each of you for feeling my blog was worth pointing your loyal readers to and for participating in this real time story about life with service dogs.

Now I promised you a contest and here it is!
Win a copy of Excel-erated Learning (this is my copy bought it, so I can give it away) simply by writing a short essay (between 200-400 words) on the most important thing you have learned about yourself because of your service dog or that your service dog has taught you. If you have a blog post your entry on it and leave a link for me in the comments under this post. If you don't have a blog send me an email. If you are not big on writing or your disability makes it difficult you can either dictate it to some one to write for you or (if you know how) send or post an audio entry. I will post the top three entries on my blog and the winner will get the book provided they remember to leave me a way to contact them. The deadline for entry is June 24, 2009.

Notes: Blog Roll Updated

New Blogs added:

• Rebecca and Mollie, the Border Collie

Inactive Blogs Removed:

• Summit Assistance Dogs
• Service Dog Blog
• Waiting for the Woof

For other blogs about service dogs and dog training see My Blog List on the right side of this page.

Happy New Year!

Shilo and I would like to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year. We resolve to continue to put our best paw forward and hope you will do the same!

Note: New Links added!

If you never look to the right of the entries on this blog, you are missing a wealth of resources!
I have added:

• A link to Peata- an Irish therapy dog organization to the Therapy Dogs Organization list
• Guide Dogs for the Blind official blog in my Blog Role